Psychology—the scientific study of mind and behavior—is all around us. Discover how taking a psychology course in high school can teach you how to be a better student, prepare you for any career, and help you better understand your world.

Topics you’ll learn

Some of the topics you’ll learn about are listed here, but there are many other psychology topics covered in class, as well.
  • Research methods
  • Development
  • Learning and memory
  • Social relationships
  • Psychoactive drugs and their effects
  • Sleep
  • Brain function
  • Biological bases of behavior
  • Prejudice and discrimination
  • Motivation
  • Personality
  • Psychological disorders and their treatment

Psychology can help you learn how to study

The topic of learning and memory goes well beyond a lecture in class. Psychology can teach you how to get the most out of studying, stay motivated in class, and take better notes.

Psychology can help you learn about and cope with stress

Stress is a major concern among teens and young adults. The study of psychology can help you better understand what causes stress and what to do about it.

Types of psychology courses

A number of different psychology courses are available at the high school level, depending on what each school offers.

Popular high school psychology courses are:

Some schools may offer specialized psychology courses like:

  • Adolescent psychology
  • Developmental psychology
  • Social psychology
  • Sports psychology

Review your school course listings and talk to a teacher or counselor at your school to explore what options you have for taking a course in psychology.

If your school does not offer a psychology course, you can self-study to take the AP Psychology exam.opens in new window Massive Online Open Courses often offer introductory psychology courses as well, which are free and open to the public.

Common myths about psychology

There are many misconceptions people have about psychology. Here are some of them, debunked.

  • Psychology is just about analyzing people.
    While clinical and counseling psychology are very important, the field of psychology includes a wide variety of areas, from neuroscience to applying psychological science to space exploration. Psychological science is contributing to finding solutions to societal problems such as the opioid epidemic, gun violence, climate change, and more. APA has 54 divisions that cover many important psychology subfields.
  • Psychology is about common sense.
    Only controlled research can help us determine what conditions can bring about different results or the relationship between variables.
  • Psychology is simple.
    Researching and understanding the behavior and mental processes of human and nonhuman animals is complicated and advanced subject matter.
  • You need to become a psychologist to have a successful career using psychology.
    Psychology can prepare you for a wide range of jobs or careers.
  • Degrees in psychology aren’t useful and applicable.
    If you’re thinking about majoring in psychology in college, the idea that a degree in psychology isn’t useful is not true. Psychology is an excellent major or course (PDF, 55KB)opens in new window to take to prepare you to do well in school and get a good job.

Psychology-related careers

A bachelor’s or graduate degree in psychology can prepare you for a variety of jobs.

High school psychology courses can help prepare students for several growing career fields. Psychology is a hub science that connects to, and can be an entryway into, other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, including statistics, neuroscience, life sciences, and the social sciences. Psychology is also broadly applicable to business, medicine, education, health, and criminal justice.

See more psychology-related careersopens in new window as well as read about psychology subfields. Of interest to many students, psychological science also contributes to our understanding of climate change and the environment.

Career videos

Working with children to understand how brains develop

Developmental psychologist Jeffrey Lockman, PhD, studies how infants learn to use tools and how children develop hand-eye coordination.

Protecting the planet through conservation psychology

Studying people's relationship with nature has helped Susan Clayton, PhD, create messages that encourage people to protect the environment.

Measuring and analyzing human behavior in the world of gaming

As a "user research lead" at Microsoft Studios, psychologist Tim Nichols, PhD, gets paid to play.

Connect with APA

Join APA as a high school student member

Did you know that high school students interested in psychology, or pursuing a major or career in psychology, can become APA student affiliate members at a discounted rate? APA high school student affiliate members get access to benefits such as:

• Free subscriptions to APA’s The Monitor on Psychology magazine and American Psychologist journal
• Discounted registration rates for APA’s annual convention
• And more!

Get involved

Read about competitions, programs, and publications for students.

For students

Honor societies and professional associations and applying psychology to your future career.


Honor societies and professional associations

American Psychological Association logo
American Psychological Association: Membership for high school students

PSI ALPHA logo
Psi Alphaopens in new window: An honor society for high school students who plan to major or minor in psychology, as well as students who have an interest in psychology

PSI BETA logo
Psi Betaopens in new window: The Community College National Honor Society in Psychology

PSI CHI logo
Psi Chiopens in new window: The International Honor Society in Psychology

Apply the skills you learn in psychology to your future career

Books and websites for students interested in exploring career options

Psychology and healthcare

Did you know that physicians and many other health care providers such as nurses, physical therapists, and occupational therapists need to know about the psychological foundations of behavior? As one example, the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)opens in new window tests applicants’ knowledge of psychology, behavioral science, statistics, and research design.

More about psychology

Want to learn more about psychology and how you can apply it to your life? Check out some of the fun and interesting resources below.

  • Psychology and personalityopens in new window
    Do you want to know more about your personality? FiveThirtyEight offers a scientific personality quiz, based on the Big Five theory of personality.
  • Psychology topics
    Read about nearly 100 different topics related to psychology, including anger, anxiety, bullying, depression, eating disorders, environment, hate crimes, human rights, kids and the media, sleep, sports and stress.
  • Psychology Student Network newsletter
    Get the latest on education in psychology and career tips direct to your inbox.
  • APA Elevating Psychological Science Everywhere
    APA works to improve, promote, and apply psychological science in ways that benefit society and improve lives.